Of Machinery and Heartbeats
by muertalas
Summary: In the musky glare of the moon, the most beautiful place in Shibuya was on the bridge by the river, where one could hear the hum of machines and of hearts. Standalone. JoshuaxNeku.


Honestly, I've only read the game script; I'm getting the game - probably - next week.  
So yes, forgive me sincerely for any mistakes.

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**Of Machinery and Heartbeats**

The shopping district of Shibuya was significantly quieter than the daytime was. Traffic jams of people were reduced to a few stragglers making their ways upon the otherwise deserted streets. Lights that shone brighter than the sun itself had dimmed and the musky glare of a full moon peered out from various obstructions. There was a soft hum of machinery and of heartbeats – human heartbeats that pulsated throughout not only Shibuya but the world – that sang a song too beautiful for the average human to knowingly acknowledge it.

But it was the bridge overlooking the quickly flowing river that seemed to be ultimately magnificent that night. At least, that's what a fair-haired boy stated to his companion as they leaned against the stone railing.

"What do you think of it?" Sly, blue-grey eyes met that of his friend's and the pale boy smirked widely. His other, a boy with red-brown spiky hair with a pair of blue headphones on his head merely shrugged. "Well, that isn't really an acceptable answer, Neku."

The boy named Neku shrugged once more, a shadow of a smile playing upon his lips. His skeletal hands fumbled in his pockets almost awkwardly and Neku turned back to the slightly moon-kissed water. "I really 'unno, Josh. I don't really _have_ an answer."

"Are you saying that you can't hear it?" Joshua nearly looked incredulous beyond reasoning, but Neku knew his comrade well enough to understand his exaggerated facial expressions. "_I _can hear it; I'm surprised that you can't, my friend."

"What're you saying?" Neku eyed Joshua suspiciously, voice laced with the same emotion. He withdrew his hands from the deep pockets of his pants and crossed his arms over his small chest.

"I was just surprised, like I said, that's all." The fair-haired boy's smile confused Neku: What was he hiding and why? What would go on inside his intelligent little head whenever the smile that seemed to only creep upon the other's face when he spotted Neku?

Silence flooded the two like the water did to the dip in the surface of the earth. A chilly breeze wafted its way through their bodies, freezing their skeletons; Neku hugged himself slightly while Joshua pulled at his dress shirt sleeves.

Quietly, Neku blurted out, "What can you hear that I can't?"

A small laugh was the spiky-haired boy's temporary answer; he clenched his fists against his chest. And out of nowhere, Joshua's hand snatched at Neku's hair, tugging the boy towards him and hold his other against his shirt-covered torso.

"Even through those headphones of yours, can you hear what I can hear?" A pause. "Or perhaps even feel it?"

Neku could. He could feel it at least, very faintly but still there. A heartbeat: the sign of emotion; of life; of _existing_. It thumped weakly, a drum beat meant to die as soon as it struck. Neku bit his lips, restraining an inward shudder with great care. The strange warmth that Joshua's heartbeat seemed to resonate through Neku nearly made him become lost in the feeling that was so rare to him nowadays.

"I-I can feel it, Josh," he stuttered and then cursed mentally at his show of weakness. He waited for the loosening of Joshua's hand upon his head or for the snide remark about him, but nothing of the sort came.

Just the growing quickness of his friend's heart.

"I'm glad," Joshua whispered.

Out of nowhere, Joshua's hand rose upwards in a swift, fluid motion, forcing Neku to follow. In a split second, Neku's surprised "What the hell?!" was muffled by a pair of foreign – but oddly _right_ – lips; Joshua's smiling lips.

A second later they were but inches apart, Neku's eyes the size of dinner plates while Joshua seemed to be searching for a sign of recognition.

_A beat and another and another…_

And Neku grabbed Joshua down for another meeting of the lips, this time deeper and more meaningful than the last.

The water flowed on. The machinery continued to hum and whir. The _th-thumps_ of heartbeats went on and on like drums fated to die; all of them different rhythms and all of them louder than before.


End file.
